His parents holding hands walking through a pasture. The feel of his mother’s body covered in fur as she rubbed against his leg. A wolf pack moving together as one hunting well-hidden prey. The knowledge he was part of something bigger than himself.
He sighed. That was long ago and it was best left in the past where the less happy memories couldn’t harm anyone ever again. Although even he would admit those particular visions had been of pleasant times, wonderful actually.
As soon as he crossed the small bridge that was a walkway to the motel over the highway, he caught her scent. It was like oranges on the wind—fresh, enticing, and clean.
If he could, he’d dissolve into nothingness and travel with her smell alone for the rest of his life.
But of course he couldn’t do that so he might as well not get all poetic about it. He had a mission: to figure out what was wrong with Angel and then he was going back to his life.
The door to one of the motel rooms slammed open and Parker took a step back to observe. The two thugs from earlier dragged an unconscious Angel from the room, slung over one of the shoulders of the redhead.
Parker saw scarlet. He didn’t know what happened but he was sure it hadn’t been by her consent.
This was an unacceptable occurrence.
It had been two decades since Parker Liberty had given into his wolf’s demand to shift.
Let me do it. Let me do it.
He’d taken two running steps when he agreed. His wolf was right. This was going to require some canine assistance, especially since the two criminals hauling away his so-called mate smelled like wolves to him.
It was a good bet they would shift and if they were going to do it, then he needed to do it too.
A warm white light consumed him, shifting his bones, putting fur over his skin.
Before he knew it, he was down on all fours running toward his targets.
One of them whirled around as he approached at high speed. He had two seconds to register the man’s huge eyes and the cry of “Oh shit” before he slammed the foolish imbecile onto the ground.
As the man shifted into his wolf form, Parker tore and clawed at him. He wasn’t really in control of his own movements; his wolf hadn’t had this opportunity in two decades and was clearly going to make the most of it.
Having bloodied the other wolf into submission, he turned around ready to take on the man holding Angel. He growled, showing his teeth as he reveled in the feeling of using his abilities.
The redhead placed the still unconscious Angel on the ground in front of him and raised his hands in the air. “I’m sorry.” He took two steps back. “She’s not worth this much trouble. I’ve been thinking it for the last hundred miles or so. I’m not getting torn up over this. Let me take my friend. We’ll never bother her again.” Another two steps. “I promise.”
He growled. Truth was he really wanted to tear into the man’s undeserving hide.
What do you want me to do?
Internally, Parker blinked at the question. His wolf was asking him? Wasn’t this the part where he was supposed to lose his mind and start causing havoc to the entire world?
I’ve told you a million times, that isn’t in my nature. It’s always a collaboration between the two of us.
Parker didn’t want to argue except he’d seen first hand what happened when wolves went crazy. This time they were both fine. It might, however, not be so easy in the future.
Let him go.
The wolf took a step back and the redhead man ran to his friend. Parker watched as he swung the mauled body of his friend into his arms and ran.
Do you think he’ll die?
His wolf snorted. He might.
Parker shifted back to his human form, liking the feel of being in control of his own body again.
He was meant to be on two legs. The four-legged ability was an abomination.
Sighing, he gently picked Angel up. Her head hung back on his arm letting his see the large gash across her forehead.
They’d knocked her out.
Parker felt a growl form in his chest. Those two pathetic little men had put their hands on this woman hard enough to render her unconscious. He wanted to howl with anger. Now he wished he hadn’t let them go. He should have taken down the redhead too.
And if the blond died, well that would be fine by him.
The thought startled him and he almost dropped Angel. He was going to have to do some serious work on himself to get a grip on all his violent thoughts. Ignoring the fact that his wolf rolled his eyes at him, he crossed back over the bridge still holding Angel.
She was about five foot ten, he would guess, and weighed almost nothing. He wondered if she’d been eating regularly while she ran from the two wolves that would never bother her again.
He had to make sure she was okay. The need to assure himself of her health was all-consuming.
His head roared with the intense desire to get her home and taken care of. He was a big man and could cross spaces faster than normal humans. Still, he wasn’t sure he’d ever moved so fast before.
Opening the door to his apartment one handed, he carried her inside. He closed the door behind him with his foot before walking across the room to his bed. Laying her down, he stared at the beautiful woman who hadn’t stirred at all.
Well? Now what? His wolf questioned. Have I missed the part where you obtained your medical degree?
Quiet. He didn’t need any more self-doubt right now.
He went into the bathroom and ran some cold water onto a washcloth. He wrung the extra water out of the towel and then brought it back into the bedroom. Trying to be as gentle as he could be, he dabbed it on the angry-looking red cut on her forehead.
After a second, her head moved back and forth on the pillow. He bit down on his lip.
That was a good sign, he hoped. His wolf was right. He didn’t have a medical degree of any kind but it had to be positive that she stirred.
Her eyes sprang open and not one second later her hands were around his neck, squeezing as she cut off the air from his windpipe. She was strong and even as he gripped her wrist to stop her he wasn’t sure he actually could.
Someone had taught this woman who was called Angel how to fight like a devil.
Gasping as he tried to get air, he was sure he was going to lose consciousness if this went on any longer. His throat burned and her fingernails dug into his skin. Oh yeah, this was hell.
Just as abruptly as she had started squeezing, she stopped. Dropping her hands from his neck, she screamed.
“Oh my god.”
He grabbed his throat as he let his body take in all the air it needed. Oh man, his throat. It throbbed. This was going to be a problem for a while. He stood up, bending over as he gasped.
“I am so sorry. I thought you were them, the guys who whacked me over the head.”
She jumped up and as he straightened he watched her sway on her feet.
Ah hell, she was going to fall over.
He grabbed her arm and shoved her back down on the bed. She couldn’t fall over.
He’d just gotten her back up.
She stared up at him. “That’s right, you don’t speak.”
He coughed trying to clear his throat.
That wasn’t entirely true. He could speak. Well, at least he used to. It had been a conscious choice to stop and he was fairly certain he could again if he chose to. But what would that mean for his life?
Keeping his silence, not having to talk to people, it was safer. He was less likely to be a danger to anyone else as long as he maintained his distance.